More than 100 warships carrying 20,000 soldiers along the Tongji Canal downstream, stretching for more than ten miles, in the night, the fleet slowly sailed into the Huai River, the water surface rippled, in the distance can faintly see the black city wall of Xuyi County on the other side of the Huai River, as well as the tall and lush poplar forests on both banks.

Zhang Xuan stood at the bow of the boat, staring coldly at the west of the Huai River, and when he entered the Huai River, he also entered the core territory of Du Fuwei, in fact, after the fleet entered Xiapi County, it was already in Du Fuwei's sphere of influence, and Du Fuwei's sphere of influence even extended to the south of Qian County.

Yingshui, Huangshui, Lianshui, Whirlpool, Suishui, Surabaya, Tongji Canal, Mushui, etc., the powerful Huaihe River water system is like a tentacle, so that Du Fuwei's Jianghuai army force extended into the Central Plains.

Zhang Xuan also knew that the Jianghuai people were fierce, and the army was brave and strong in battle, fierce as a wolf, as can be seen from Wang Shichong's Huainan army, and the son of heaven Yang Guang transferred himself to Jianghuai, which seemed to be infinitely beautiful, but in fact it was also a powerful challenge.

"It doesn't matter if your family's ship is there, right?" Wei Chigong slowly walked to Zhang Xuan's side and asked with some concern.

This time to the south, not only Zhang Xuan's newlywed wife was on the ship, but also the families of many soldiers and soldiers also followed the warship south, such as Wei Chigong's wife and children, Luo Shixin's father, etc., there were more than 1,000 people, they mainly took the first ten big boats, and they had already entered the Huai River one step ahead.

Zhang Xuan heard the worry in his tone, and knew that he was worried about his wife and children, so he smiled and comforted him: "If Du Fuwei's army wants to sneak attack us, they will generally intercept the front or attack the back, but not in the middle, it will be easy to be surrounded, unless his intelligence is very strong and he has mastered our details, maybe they will take the risk of sneaking up on the family fleet, but I have also thought of the worst possibility." ”

"We in Xiaqiu County supply clear water. I suspect that there are people on the shore who are Duvowe's spies. ”

"Of course it's possible, but is our army so vulnerable to sneak attacks?"

Zhang Xuan smiled and patted Wei Chi Gong on the shoulder, "Don't worry, I have considered all kinds of possibilities, as long as they dare to come, I will at least peel them off." ”

Wei Chigong nodded silently. He was not good at water warfare, and when the army was transferred to Jianghuai to fight, he actually had a feeling of powerlessness.

The time has come to a watch, in the dense poplar forest on the south bank of the Huai River, a black-clothed army of hundreds of people is staring intently at the big ships sailing on the river, behind the two rows of poplar forests is a ditch a foot wide, the top is covered by dense bushes, and the bottom is hidden more than 30 small boats.

The man in black is a burly man with a mace in his hand. It is Miao Haichao, the fierce general of the Huai River, who grew up on the Huai River since he was a child, knows everything about the grass and trees of the Huai River, and has been a water thief for many years, and has rich experience in robbery.

His target was the rear ship of the Sui army loaded with supplies, but he could not attack directly, he needed to attack the ship transporting his family first, and the Sui army would inevitably come to the rescue. At that time, the Sui army will have no soldiers to guard the rear ship.

Miao Haichao held his breath, and he made full preparations. Believe that you will succeed.

"General, here!" A soldier shouted as he pointed to a large ship in the distance.

Miao Haichao also saw that a big ship with a mast hanging on a pennant was heading this way, and several big ships behind were also hanging pennants, when the Sui army fleet was replenishing Qingshui in Xiaqiu County, his spies found that these big ships with pennants were the family ships of the Sui army. This is also Miao Haichao's experience, first probe the enemy's intelligence, and then target.

Miao Haichao waved his hand gently, "Go into the water!" ”

More than 300 water ghosts were divided into three teams and went into the water silently. Respectively to the three family boats swam away, these water ghosts are all high and strong, living by the Huai River since childhood, more flexible than fish, they almost do not show their heads in the water, quickly approached the three big boats, a barbed iron hook claw flew out of the water, accurately buckled the boat, the water ghosts have out of the water, clinging to the wall of the boat to climb towards the boat.

At this time, Miao Haichao mentioned his throat in his heart, he was very nervous, and success or failure was in this move.

Seeing a water ghost jump on the deck first, but heard a miserable scream, the water ghost was cut off by a knife, the head flew out, the situation changed suddenly, only to see three large ships poured out of countless Sui soldiers, together with arrows downward, dense arrows shot at more than 300 water ghosts.

The water ghosts were caught off guard and screamed and fell into the water, and the water ghosts in the back saw that the situation was not good, and they each jumped into the water to escape, but the soldiers of the Sui army did not stop shooting, and the dense arrows still shot to the water, shooting the water ghosts one after another.

On the riverbank, Miao Haichao was stunned, he couldn't figure it out, it was obviously a ship carrying his family, how could there be so many Sui soldiers, could his spies be mistaken?

At this moment, several ships full of soldiers left the fleet and headed for the south bank, a hundred paces from the shore, and countless crossbow arrows burst through the air and shot at the other thieves who were lying in ambush on the south bank.

Miao Haichao saw that the situation was not good, he didn't have time to wait for the water ghost to come back, jumped on the boat and shouted: "Retreat immediately!" ”

One by one, the small boats sailed into the ditch and headed for a small river not far away, Miao Haichao was annoyed in his heart, he didn't know what the problem was? Was his spies mistaken? But I feel that the Sui army is obviously defensive, and those crossbowmen are like ambushing on the ship, could it be that the Sui army has seen through their plan?

At this time, a large ship of the Sui army caught fire unexpectedly, and the sails were ignited by the fire, which was particularly dazzling in the night sky, and Miao Haichao was stunned, what was going on? He suddenly shouted, "Immediately inform the brothers behind and retreat immediately!" ”

There are more than 1,000 thieves preparing to attack the rear ship of the Sui army, they are ambushed in the west of Xuyi County, taking more than 100 small warships, they are waiting for the signal from the front, according to the prior deployment, once Miao Haichao attacks the family ships, the Sui army's warships will inevitably rush to support, then the Sui army's rear ships full of supplies will be left alone, and they will become the prey of the thief army.

The general who led the thief fleet was Miao Haichao's subordinate general Wang Chuan, who was a fellow villager with Miao Haichao and had been following Miao Haichao, and was his right-hand man, extremely proficient in water.

Wang Chuan squatted on the bow of the boat, patiently waiting for the signal ahead, at this time, a fire suddenly ignited on the river in the distance, he stood up quickly, this must be the main general's side of the hand, and a soldier next to him shouted: "General, the Sui warship has stopped." ”

I saw that the Sui army fleet stopped on the water, and a dozen large ships full of supplies behind them were quietly moored on the river, and the ships guarding them sailed towards the front of the accident.

When the opportunity appeared, Wang Chuan was overjoyed and shouted: "The whole army is killed!" ”

More than 100 clippers rushed out of their hiding places on the shore and sped towards the Sui fleet two miles away.

The shape of the transport ship is different from that of the warship, not as sharp as the warship, relatively round, and the volume is also large, it is very obvious in the fleet, it can be recognized at a glance, and it is generally guarded by very few soldiers, and more than a hundred clippers quickly approached the cargo ship, and they wanted to tow the cargo ship away with the supplies.

But just as they approached the cargo ship, a large group of Sui soldiers suddenly poured out of the cargo ship, condescending to shoot arrows at more than 100 small boats, dense arrows shot at the dense small boats, the thieves suddenly suffered heavy casualties, they all screamed and fell into the Huai River, only one round of arrows fired, there were more than 300 thieves overboard, there were no soldiers on more than 20 fast boats, empty boats on the water.

The rest of the thieves were so frightened that they were about to flee when they turned their bows, when a group of warships rushed from the oblique spurs, led by three thousand stones, and the huge inertia knocked over a dozen small boats in a row, and they crossed the water towards a huge wall, cutting off the retreat of the thieves.

The arrows on both sides shot together at the thief ship in the middle, the thief army suffered heavy casualties, and had no choice but to jump off the ship to escape, hundreds of thieves desperately swam to the south bank, they only had this chance to escape.

On the big boat at the head, Zhang Xuan looked coldly at the thieves fleeing in the water, and shouted: "Raise the fire!" ”

The big ship lit torches, the Sui army was obviously prepared, the south bank suddenly burst into flames, thousands of Sui soldiers appeared on the south bank under the leadership of Pei Xingyan, they showed no mercy, arrows like a rain of arrows to the thief soldiers who were about to swim to the south bank.

After a few rounds of arrows, there were no more soldiers swimming on the water, and more than 1,500 thieves and soldiers, including the deputy general Wang Chuan, were all killed in the Huai River.

In a small river in the distance, Miao Haichao looked at the blazing fire on the south bank, surrounded on all sides, his soldiers could never escape again, Miao Haichao regretted and hated, desperate 'pounced!' He fell on his knees at the bow of the ship and could not help crying.

He unfortunately fell into the trap of the Sui army, and there were less than 100 of the 2,000 elite sailors he selected, so how could he face the lord Du Fuwei? (To be continued.) )